squishy squash and stuff

Dinner last night proved to be equally interesting in France. Having survived the squiffy trifle the night before, I raided the fridge to see what delights we could conjure up in the kitchen. This was my chance to prove I could still cook in the company of my Mum. The remaining vegetables of my bio delivery box in Brussels the week before were lurking in the veg drawer, and being super healthy and super fresh (all that wonderful fresh Belgian soil I swear), they were still going strong. However in my French and Spanish cookery books (which sit alongside a lot of BBQ and fish/seashore cookery books for the summer, and a Delia Smith Christmas cook book I swear by for the winter), I couldn’t find a single thing to do with a butternut squash. Thank God for the internet, some strange man from the US took me step by step through the preparation, and I flew solo in preparing peppers and aubergines stuffed with farce (prepared veal mince) and ratatouille (leftovers from chef Doug in the summer stored deep in the freezer). All were deposited in the oven for 30 mins, while I whipped up some mashed potatoes to accompany them.

The Squishy Squash ; 1 butternut squash, 3 tbsp olive oil, rind of 1 lemon, 1 tsp honey, 3 fresh twigs of rosemary……….Cut the outer skin carefully off the squash with a very sharp knife. Cut up into chunks, removing the squishy inside and the pips. Heat the oil in a pan, add the rosemary, the lemon rind and the honey and warm up for 3 mins. Pour the liquid over the squash arranged in an oven proof dish. Cook at 190 degs for 30 mins.

The Stuffed Vegetables ; 2 green peppers and 1 aubergine (or anything else stuffable in your fridge!), 500g farce (or mince), 3 cloves garlic, 2 onions, a handful of herbs, some ratatouille (or a tin of tomatoes and add the inside of the vegetables and some mushrooms for example), and some grated cheddar cheese. Cut the vegetables in half, scoop out the insides, and place in a roasting tin. Fry the chopped onions and garlic in come olive oil, and when translucent add the farce. Cook til a little browned. Add the ratatouille (or tomato mix), and cook over a low heat for 25 mins. Stuff the vegetables with this mixture (but use a slotted spoon to avoid adding to much liquid to the vegatables), and cover with grated cheese. Cook at 190 degs for 30 mins (with the squash).

In the meantime, boil the potatoes til soft. Drain, and mash with a little butter and cream (sod the calories, sooo yummy!) and add a little pepper and salt. Keep warm in the oven while waiting for the other dishes. Serve and bask in the golden glow!!

Mmmm! a happy golden meal, before we crashed before another “carry on” film courtesy of Dad collecting the Daily Mail dvd’s………life gets even stranger!